It’s Five Minute Friday with lovely Lisa-Jo!

Set a timer and just write. Don’t worry about making it just right or not.

For me? An exercise in letting go and letting words flow. Five minutes only. {yes, I do set a timer and it quacks like a duck at 5 minutes, which totally makes me smile}

Today’s prompt: Last.

*****

And go…

A woman was murdered near our home in the dark hours of Wednesday morning. Only a few blocks away. In our quiet suburban neighborhood.

I was rattled Wednesday with news of an armed and dangerous suspect on the loose, but I became more unsettled as more was released about the victim.

33 years old.

Wife.

Mother of three.

There has been no sense of peace for me over the last few days. Her description almost fits me to a tee. Too close to home, too close to my heart. And even though I didn’t know her, friends of ours did and the whole community is shaken.

I was tense yesterday, partially because of this tragedy, and that tension showed at my home until I was driving with the boys and thought…

What were the woman’s last words to her kids? to her husband? What were the last words each of them said to her?

What if today was my last with my kids and the words I just spoke were the last I said?

When all is said and done, only love remains… ~For KING and COUNTRY

Living, speaking, loving like today is my last. If anything good can come out of this horrible act of violence, Lord, let me be a part of it.

Stop.

*****

I cried my way through this post. My heart is broken. I needed to process this in words.

And I hope you’ll join me in praying for the dear family left behind in all of this. The community is really rallying behind them, with prayer vigils and memorial funds and even people signing up to bring meals for over two months already. Pray for the family to feel God’s love and comfort and peace through this His people here on earth. Pray for those sweet children.

And you can read a much happier “last” post from Lisa-Jo today on her oldest son’s birthday, along with many other beautiful writers on Five Minute Friday!